Entre'Arts provides a shared space and possibilities aplenty for artists and entrepreneurs

When everyone settles in and the daily routines are set, Entre’Arts will be the kind of space in which artists can create and sell their work, and patrons will find more than enough to hold their interest.

They can drop in, have a seat and a nosh, watch the artists work, add to their art collections or perhaps pick up a gift for a friend or loved one. Or they can bring the family and just soak up the atmosphere.

(Press-Register/Bill Starling)Building owner Luke Fondren, left, leases the Entre'Arts space to project manager David Calametti, right, who hopes that the marriage of art and commerce will create synergy in downtown Mobile and perhaps spawn similar projects throughout Mobile-Baldwin.

Modeled on Affinity Lab in Washington, D.C., Entre’Arts is a converted 19th-century building at 453 Dauphin St. that houses an entrepreneur/artist shared workspace with artists such as Devlin Wilson, Val Webb and Tesa Molyneux, and entrepreneurs like Debbie Davis of Island Thyme Eats & Arts (http://island-thyme.com).

The emphasis will be on local artists and locally produced artwork hence the presence of Handmade in Alabama Fine Arts & Crafts. The space will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, which means visitors and downtown workers can drop in whatever their work schedules.

Project manager David Calametti, the man who created Arts Alive and other local events, hopes that his newest venture will evolve into an entrepreneurial launch platform and “arts incubator” in which art and commerce exist in synsergistic harmony. The open floor plan and shared office space offer accessibility, convenience and a sense of community.

He and Luke Fondren, who owns the property, kicked around ideas for the 4,400-square-foot space and eventually opted for what Calametti describes as “a collaborative, collegial environment” that would provide a shared workspace for artists and business people.

(Press-Register/Bill Starling)Artist Devlin Wilson, shown here hanging some of his artwork, says the downtown arts scene is "intoxicating." He is one of the resident artists at the new Entre'Arts space on Upper Dauphin.

Although still a work in progress, Entre’Arts will be open Aug. 13 for the LoDa Artwalk. Wilson and his artists colleagues will be on hand with their artwork, and Island Thyme will have food and drink available, although the restaurant is still a few weeks from its official opening.

Wilson will handle artist recruitment and gallery management, according to Calametti. The artist had been working out of his home studio on Church Street but he says Entre’Arts is now his full-time workspace.

“I think it’ll be an atelier kind of atmosphere, bringing the overall quality (of the art) up through the interaction of artists,” Wilson says. “I respect and admire the other artists such as Val Webb. We will be able to provide instruction on individual basis, and it’s a real good opportunity to market your artwork face to face. That’s one of the great things about artwalk — artists are there to represent their work, answer questions and even negotiate a price if that’s necessary.”

Wilson says having studio space within the downtown arts district is essential for artists to interact with tourists, the public and their own collectors and fans.

“It’s a collective experience making and selling artwork,” he says.

“I like the business end of it and being in front of the public. I love painting outdoors and being at the artwalks. It’s an intoxicating atmosphere for artists who, you know, like to talk about themselves anyway.”

Ceramic artist Val Webb likes the energy of the building on Upper Dauphin, where she says she will establish a “satellite mini-studio.” Most of her business comes through the Internet.

“I might be working on a piece for someone in Texas or Japan,” she says, “and I never see the person face to face. This will be a fun thing for me to be able to actually interact with people rather than just through e-mail.”

She usually works in her home studio in west Mobile, but having a spot downtown is appealing.

“It’s a growing arts community downtown and a great opportunity to be a part of that,” Webb says. “I like the idea of working in the company of other artists and having people wandering in and out with the café there and artwalk and things going on — it really attracts me.

“There’s great energy and they’ve done a great job rehabbing the building. It’s got a little bit of a funky vibe, you know, with the cement floor and brick walls. It feels artsy, and I think it’s going be a fun place to be.”

“I envision keeping regular hours maybe two days a week to start with,” she says. “I envision having a little home away from home — a little wall space, a little work space — and based on that, going forward. Just try it out and see how it does. I am not sure what to expect, but that’s kind of part of the fun.”

Artist Tesa Molyneux, who works in acrylics, says Entre’Arts is “the answer to a prayer.”

“I’ve been praying for a place to get together with other artists who want to make a living at art and who are more serious about what they doing and not just in it as a hobby,” she says, “and it looks like I’ve found the spot, you know? I’m really grateful for that.

(Press-Register/Bill Starling)Debbie Davis, owner of Island Thyme Eats & Arts, which will open soon in the Entre'Arts space at 453 Dauphin St. in downtown Mobile.

“It’s a good location, and I think we’re all going to enjoy getting to know each other and working together and all that.”

Island Thyme owner Debbie Davis recently vacated her familiar spot in a strip center on Government Street, and she couldn’t be more thrilled.

“This is really ultimately what I had in my mind a year ago, but I ended up in a different building, a much more sterile environment,” she says. “But it got me started and I think my name got out there, which is fantastic. “This is exactly what I had in mind — small, unique, somewhat eccentric, with the concept of the art being involved.”

Island Thyme habitués will recognize a few familiar touches.

“My Tiki-hut came with me!” says Davis.

She isn’t daunted by the coziness of her new digs, which is a fraction the size of the old Island Thyme. At 3,400 square feet — half that floor space taken up by her kitchen — that space was “way too big for me,” she says.

The new Island Thyme will occupy perhaps 650 square feet, but will serve beer and wine, along with a familiar menu (salads, wraps and other fresh cuisine), and fresh coffee, breakfast muffins and croissants starting at 7 a.m.

“This concept is like no other,” she says. “You can watch an SEC football game on a Saturday or watch an artist creating new work, and me in the kitchen creating my own masterpieces. I think it’s gonna be cool.”